SERIES OF ONE-SHOTS
by Em Pataki
Summary: Fun filled moments with our favorite characters! Rated T for mild romances scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS STORE MY SERIES OF ONE-SHOTS.**

 **THIS ONE WAS REQUESTED BY lollixlolli**

Potion Gone Awry

It was a bright sunny day in Hillwood. What better way to enjoy it than with a pleasant afternoon of baseball…

"Hey Arnold! Move it football head! You're up!"

Arnold shook his head, after realizing a quick glance at the pretty redhead at center field had once again made him drift away from reality.

"Huh? Oh sorry Helga."

The blonde boy stepped up to bat, where he listened to the blonde girl behind him grunt at his audacity to hold up the game.

After taking his position, Arnold was ready to swing. He was no longer the one to hold up practice however.

"Hey look everyone...It's AWWNOLD! You couldn't hit this ball if you're little wussy life depended on it! Hahaha!" the husky boy at the pitcher's mound mocked him.

Finding herself a new suspect to point her annoyance at, Helga stood to remove her catcher's mask and scowled "Just throw the bowl ya big tub of lard!"

"Alright, alright…" Harold whined, as he got into position to throw the ball. After watching it fly towards him, Arnold hit the first pitch that came his way.

Helga watched her beloved make it safely to first base, as she remained at home plate. Watching with an aching heart each time her beloved glanced again at Lila with an eager look in his eyes.

 _Walk_

Not far from the field, two other kids were busy with another matter. "Where are you going to perform, now that you finished studying your magic books Collin?"

Collin had been hoping to be a magician since he was three years old. Ever since the day his dad took him to a magic show to celebrate his birthday. The moment Collin watched the star of the show shrink his lovely assistant, Collin made it his goal to become a magician.

After taking a moment to consider his friend's question, the baffled boy replied "I don't really know, Bruce. My dream was always to learn magic. I never stopped to think about _where_ to perform, as long as I knew how."

Bruce watched his friend eyeing the box of items he had collected to try his magic book's shrinking potion with; lantadyme herbs, potato cacti, and water. While Collin couldn't be more excited about it, Bruce was skeptical about the idea of anyone (or anything for that matter) being capable of shrinking.

 _Gerald Field_

"You're out!" Helga shouted, proudly shoving the ball in Sid's face. After an hour of practice had gone by, the kids decided to call it a day. As Gerald was leaving his position, he looked over to see his friend still standing frozen at shortstop. The easygoing boy walked over to his friend, already knowing what must be on his mind.

"Hey Arnold! Let's get going man."

The distracted boy then shook his head to see his friend standing beside him with his hands on his waist.

"Oh sorry Gerald. I was just thinking about Lila."

"No kidding."

While Gerald was standing there, listening to Arnold go on about how hard it was knowing she didn't feel the same way about him, another person hadn't left _her_ position.

Helga continued standing at home plate with an annoyed expression across her face, knowing what her beloved must be thinking about. As she watched him leave the field with his best friend, she didn't happen to notice someone approaching _her._

"Hello Helga."

The startled girl turned to see her best friend standing beside her. "Phoebe! Sheesh!"

"Forgive me for startling you Helga. Are you ready to work on our English assignment?"

Hearing this made her think yet again of the boy with the corn flowered hair. Every time they were assigned a writing assignment for English, Helga couldn't help but use it as a way to express her feelings for Arnold.

 _Madam Blanch's Love Potions_

While Collin continued to wander the streets with Bruce, he wasn't sure if he'd ever figure out a place to start his dream job. That is, until he heard his friend say "Look at this store."

Collin turned his head to see they were standing in front of a place called "Madam Blanch's Love Potions."

A smile formed on his face, thinking this could be the perfect place to start his dream job. Bruce watched his friend head for the door and asked "What are you doing?"

"Going inside?" Collin shrugged his shoulders.

Bruce gave a perplexed look, not expecting his friend to actually be interested in going inside. They were love potions, not magic tricks.

Collin entered the store, anxious to see what awaited him. Bruce looked at the heart shaped bottles and potions sitting on the shelves, doubting there was a chance anything in there actually worked.

"Madam Blanch?" Collin called out, until the boys saw a curtain being pulled back.

"What can I do for you?" asked the owner of the store.

Collin didn't hesitate to approach her and ask "I was wondering if I could work here? I've been studying magic for quite a few years."

Madam Blanch didn't take anything about her job seriously, as long as she was paid ten dollars for everything. Nothing she sold was real, so it wasn't as if she needed someone who really knew a thing or two about magic.

"Okay kid, when can you start?"

 _Walk_

"Have you given any thought as to what you would like your topic to be on?" Phoebe was curious to know.

She watched her friend profusely kick a can down the sidewalk, not seeming interested in her question. Whenever Helga was willing to imply something was bothering her, Phoebe knew what the cause of the problem must be.

After a moment of silence, the young Asian girl said "I take it you're unrequited love has made a more than unwelcome appearance."

Helga stopped her walk to glance over at her friend. As she turned to face Phoebe, she sighed "It just hurts. It's bad enough knowing he'll never feel the same way about me. I don't need someone like little miss perfect around, reminding me why. Reminding me Arnold will never like me because I'm not pretty, funny, sweet or possess any of that other feminine garbage guys can't seem to get enough of."

Phoebe's heart began to ache, as she stood there feeling empathetic. Although she didn't possess the same troubles with getting a boy to notice her, she was able to relate to Helga's feelings.

When she was promoted to the sixth grade, it was because no one in the class matched her knowledge. Then when she made the decision to leave, no one in the sixth grade took her seriously. Her intelligence was taken advantage of, as opposed to being well respected, which made her feel like an outcast.

The caring girl hugged her friend, and said "Don't worry Helga. Things have a way of working out."

While Helga stood there with her friend's arms wrapped around her, she looked across the street to see a familiar shop.

Remembering the day she had been ripped off by the fake potion selling lady, Helga had no interest in returning. That is, until she noticed something hanging in the window.

 _Madam Blanch's Love Potions_

"Okay kid, here's the deal. Everything is pretty much made with Grape juice, Chamomile, and a little Ginseng for flavoring."

The magic yearning boy's eyes lit with hope as he asked "We still get to perform tricks though right?"

The gypsy laughed at the naive boy and said "Kid, nothing here is real. This store is no more than a place for people who are desperate to fix whatever crazy problem they maybe going through. That's why I charge ten bucks for everything."

The disappointed boy watched his new manager disappear behind the curtain, while he took a seat at her crystal ball table. Sitting there with his head in his hand, he sorrowfully eyed his box of (what he was sure to be) magical supplies.

 _Outside the store_

Helga crossed the street to see what was hanging in the window of the store. There she read a sign in the window that said "New employment."

The lonely girl rolled her eyes at the idea of anyone being able to pull off a task worthy of bringing her and Arnold together. Just as she was turning away from the sign, she heard a couple of voices approaching.

The nervous girl snuck around the corner of the store, as she listened to them say…

"Would you just forget about her man!"

"What if we're meant to be together Gerald? I just haven't figured out what I need to do to get her to like me - like me." Arnold said hopefully.

"Uh huh? So tell me, what's your next plan of action? Dressing up like your crazy cousin to grab her attention?" Gerald asked wittily.

"Gerald…"

Helga lurked from behind the store, gritting her teeth at the conversation. The more she heard of it, the more desperate she became to fix the problem. If she couldn't change who she was, she didn't need someone around making her look bad because of it.

The determined girl then approached the door of the store when she saw the owner leaving. "Kid, we're out of grape juice. I'll be back soon."

 _Madam Blanch's Love Potions_

Collin sat at the table, still disappointed with the idea of not being able to perform any tricks. The most magic he could expect to be performing would be manipulating someone into believing what they were buying was real. Then again, isn't that how _all_ magic tricks work?

The sad boy pushed aside his box just as he heard someone entering the store. He looked up to see a girl in a pink dress with a frown on her face.

"Oh uhh what can I do for you?" Collin stood to ask his customer.

Helga marched up to the new employee, pointed a finger in his face and said "Listen pal. I know the kind of tricks that crazy lady plays around here, so give it to me straight. Can you make me a _real_ potion, or will it be one I have the right to report you for false advertising for?"

Collin stood speechless. Here he was with the chance to test his skills. The only problem was, it was an actual customer asking for it. Once Madam Blanch returned however, he knew there wouldn't be another opportunity like this.

"Umm sure. What is it you need?"

Helga let out a deep breath. Dropping her arms at her sides, she stared at the floor and said "Heck, I don't know. I'm just sick of seeing this do gooder girl in my class hog all the attention from the one I lo...I mean, I'm just sick of her. Can you help me or what?"

Collin put a finger to his chin. Glancing down at the box, it sounded like this would be a good chance to test his shrinking trick. It didn't seem right doing it to someone he had never met before however.

Looking back up at his customer, the boy saw Helga with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I'll be right back." he insisted, while carefully rushing to the back of the store with his box.

"Perfect." Helga scoffed.

 _Fifteen Minutes Later_

Helga stood impatiently waiting for Collin to return with the potion. Staring out the window, she leaned against the table, tapping her fingers anxiously. With a frown on her face, she then noticed a familiar face.

"Lila!" Helga smirked. After angrily saying the redhead's name out of habit, Helga's eyes lit with anticipation. If Collin would just hurry up, she could use the potion.

Not having heard him enter through the curtain, Helga screamed with her arms in the air "Criminy! Where the heck is he?!"

The potion slipped out of it's maker's hand. As he was about to scream for Helga to help him, some of the potion fell into his mouth. The rest spilled onto the floor. Helga turned to see something had spilled all over the floor, but didn't know where it came from. All she noticed was her shoes were now wet.

"Gross!" the blonde girl said, as she took them off. Helga continued to stand there, annoyed with the idea that no one was helping her.

 _Outside the Store_

Lila was passing the store just in time to see Arnold. "Oh Hello Arnold. What brings you here?"

"Well, we're out of milk so I told my grandpa I'd run to The Corner Store." Arnold explained.

"That was just ever so sweet of you!" the redheaded girl told him.

"Thanks. Do you uhhh...want to come with me?" Arnold asked hesitantly.

Lila smiled pleasantly at the invite and said "I'm certain I'd love to just ever so much."

"Great!"

 _Madam Blanch's Love Potions_

Although she couldn't hear their conversation, just the sight of seeing them talking together was enough to fill Helga's mind with rage. As the envious girl watched her beloved walk away with his crush, she angrily lifted her foot to stomp on the nearest thing she could find. What looked to be a bug twitching on the floor was her seller crying out for help.

Helga angrily smashed him, while stomping out of the store with her sopping wet shoes.

 _Outside the store_

Standing there, watching her loved one walk away, Helga sighed at the ground with her shoes at her sides. She then heard a voice call from behind.

"Are you alright Helga? Your excursion took longer than anticipated." Phoebe couldn't help but point out.

"Yeah Pheebs I'm okay."

The intelligent girl placed a hand on her friend's back, knowing what she must have gone in there for. As they began heading for Phoebe's to do their assignments, she looked at her aggrieved friend and said "You know Helga, sometimes it's the challenges we face in life that are what make our destinations worth while."

Helga stopped to face her friend. Cocking her brow at the statement, she asked "What's that in English?"

"You've gone through quite a bit in your life just to hang onto the hope of one day being with Arnold. Continuing to make it through the hard times will make it all the more sweet when you finally _are_ with him."

Helga smiled not just at her friend's encouraging words, but at the belief Phoebe had that it was possible things would one day end as she hoped they would.

"Thanks Pheebs."

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING!**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 _ **THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**THIS WAS MY FIRST ONE (I KNOW IT'S OUT OF ORDER)**

 **BRAINY SAVES HELGA**

It was a normal day. School had just let out, and Gerald was following Arnold back to the boarding house. Taking notice of the lovesick look in his friend's eyes, Gerald lifted an eyebrow and asked "What's up with you man?"

"Huh? Oh sorry Gerald. I was just thinking about Lila." Arnold blushed, as he started rubbing the back of his neck.

Gerald glared at his friend and asked "Arnold, how many times does she have to tell you? She doesn't like you - like you. She just likes you."

Being the optimistic person that he was, Arnold's eyes lit with hope and replied "That could change one day."

"Whatever you say Arnold."

While the boys were heading down the sidewalk, an unknown follower was lurking nearby. Hidden in the alley the boys had just passed, a pigtailed girl carefully glanced around the corner. Watching her loved one walk away, listening to him go on about his unrequited feelings, she scoffed "Pttss...Arnold. What a sap! What a dork! What a hopeless romantic! How I despise him! And yet…"

After quickly whipping her head back and forth to be sure she was alone, Helga pulled out her locket with her beloved's picture. Smiling sweetly at the face she had long admired, the passionate girl began to recite "I love him! The way he's always thinking of others before himself. The way he's always able to see the light in the most desolate situations. Oh if only I could find the strength to reveal my true feelings for him! To reach beneath my rough exterior, and show him my good hearted nature…"

The lonely girl went from leaning against the alley brick wall (smiling softly at her beloved's picture) to dramatically twirling down the pathway. Holding his picture in the air, imagining the moment she would at last be brave enough to speak the truth to the one she loved, Helga didn't watch where she was going.

"Ouch! Criminy!"

The blonde girl began rubbing her head as she turned to see she bumped into a ladder that had been left in the alley. Her eyes widened as she stood, watching it about to fall on her. Before she knew it, Helga was shoved out of the way of the heavy, metal object.

Once her locket was safely tucked back into her shirt, she turned around to see who her rescuer was. "Phew! Thanks for the...Brainy?!"

Wheezing at his friend's shocking reaction, the caring boy said "Uhh hey Helga."

Helga stood a moment with a hand on her waist and the other hanging at her side. Glaring at her rescuer, she thought to herself…

 _I guess I owe the freak a thank you. The only reason he was able to save me was because he was ONCE AGAIN stalking me. Criminy! How many freakin' fists in the face is it going to take to send him the message that I don't want someone hovering over my shoulder when I'm thinking about Arnold!_

Brainy stood smiling at his friend until he at last listened to her say "Well see ya."

Helga's rescuer stood watching her walk away as if nothing had happened. Of course, whenever she threw a fist at him to end his nosiness, he was always able to pretend nothing had ever happened. It was what Brainy could almost consider to be their own secret relationship. For Helga, it was just a much needed wake up call when she was too lost in her thoughts.

 _Phoebe's House_

There was no end to the pain Helga felt from the unrequited love she possessed for Arnold, along with the frustration of having to listen to him go on about another girl. Now the guilt of being saved by someone who liked her (the last person she would ever acquire feelings for), was thrown on top of that.

While Brainy, an unwelcome visitor, was always there to hear Helga's poetic problems, another friend was there for logical ones.

"That was certainly a nice gesture Brainy performed on your behalf." Phoebe pointed out, while watching her friend sitting on the floor, with her legs stretched out.

"Pttss...yeah it was nice. Was that supposed to be his way of apologizing for all the times he's interrupted my….I mean for following me all over the freaking city!"

Not knowing what her friend was so worked up about, Phoebe replied "Perhaps you could simply thank him."

"Pheebs, if I show him the slightest bit of appreciation, he'll never leave me alone. He'll take it as an opportunity to be my new safety guard. Helga G. Pataki doesn't need help from anyone...especially not a loser like him!"

Frowning at her friend's bluntness, the small Asian girl replied "Well if you find that to be the most fit solution to your problem, I don't see the need to worry about it. As you said, none of your hostility towards him in the past has had a negative effect on him."

After letting out a heavy sigh of remorse, Helga stood from the floor and said "I guess if the geek wad finds Ol' Betsy attractive, I'll be doing him a favor by holding back my gratitude."

Helga was making her way for the door. As she grabbed the knob, she looked back and said "Oh and Pheebs."

"Yes Helga?"

"This conversation...never happened."

"Right. Forgetting!"

 _Walk_

Helga was making her way towards home in the dark. The only light that shone was the moon with the stars beside it up above. Kicking a can she saw nearby, the blonde girl wondered if she should take a moment to thank Brainy at school the next day. Surely there would be a moment she would feel the need to be alone to vent her feelings about Arnold. If so, it wouldn't be long before she heard the wheezing student lurking nearby.

Growing frustrated with the thought, Helga kicked the can all the way to the end of the sidewalk. There she stopped to look up and see someone standing at the corner of the street. It was too dark to see right away who it was, but she continued walking in that direction.

 _End of Sidewalk_

Brainy was ready to cross the street when he heard something hit the ground. The wheezing boy looked down to see a bunch of change had fallen out of his pocket, and all over the street. The distracted kid began crawling all across the road to pick up his change. He was in the middle of collecting his money when he heard something coming…HONK!

Brainy looked up to see a car on the verge of hitting him, but was too stunned to move. The boy remained knelt on the ground, ready to be hit. That is, until he was jerked out of the way.

He was quickly dragged along to the other side of the street by his rescuer. After watching the car go by, Brainy stood to see the brave girl who had risked her life for him.

"Criminy! What the heck were you doing sitting in the street you idiot?!"

Brainy stood up, trying to catch his breath. Helga stood with her hands on her hips and an angry look on her face. After moments of watching him breathe heavily, trying to get his words out, she assumed she knew what he was trying to say.

Patting him on the back, she sighed "No need to thank me. Let's just call it even."

Helga then walked off content with the idea of having found a way to pay him back, yet still annoyed with the fact that wouldn't stop him from stalking her.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**EUGENE'S SECRET**

Eugene was walking down the steps of P.S.118 when school let out for the day. His friend Sheena was standing beside him, noticing her friend was in a bit of a hurry.

"Are you alright Eugene? You seem anxious." the sweet girl noticed.

Eugene turned to look at his friend, without stopping to consider he hadn't paused on the steps. "Oh I'm fine. I just...OW!"

The anxious boy then went tumbling down the front steps of the school in front of all his friends.

"Hey look everybody! Eugene can't walk!" Harold pointed, as he laughed uncontrollably.

"I reckon he'll always be an all fired jinx." Stinky assumed, while watching his uncoordinated classmate sit on the ground, with his head spinning.

"I'm okay." The redhead finally announced, after carefully standing from the ground. Once the group of students standing outside had gotten it's laughs in, Sheena rushed over to help her friend.

"Oh my Eugene! Let me help you!"

Eugene stood dusting himself off, not caring to accept his friend's help. "Thanks, but I've got somewhere to be. I'll see you later."

Sheena shrugged her shoulders, not knowing why her friend was acting so strange. After watching her walk away, Eugene was getting ready to head off when he was suddenly yanked aside.

"WHOA!"

The clumsy boy was pulled behind the corner of the school, to see Big Gino and his gang waiting impatiently for him.

"Well done Eugene. Your debt is almost completely paid off." the leader of the gang informed him.

 _Five Years Ago_

Eugene sat in the cafeteria. It was his first day at P.S.118, and he had forgotten to bring his lunch with him. The hungry boy looked around the room at all his friends eating their meals. The sight of this made his stomach rumble even harder, knowing he didn't have the money to buy anything.

As he looked around the cafeteria, the young boy noticed a candy bar sitting at what appeared to be a deserted table. He anxiously stood to grab the abandoned treat. Nearly finishing the candy bar, Eugene turned to see an angry group of faces.

As little as they were, they made it clear how displeased they were. "What's your name kid?" One of the mob men asked.

The petrified student gulped at the sight of the group as he nervously replied "Eu-Eugene…"

"Eugene. That was my candy bar." Big Gino spoke in a calm yet serious tone. Hoping to let the boy know he couldn't let this pass. "You owe me money."

"But I don't have any?"

"Then you get a pounding!" The mob said, slamming their fists into their hands.

Gino watched Eugene's eyes grow with fear. He held up a hand to his friends and said "There's no need for that boys. We can come to an agreement. Right Eugene?"

"Okay? What do I have to do?" the nervous boy asked.

 _End of flashback_

"Your years of clumsy showboating is almost complete. There's just one more task to fulfill." Big Gino informed his client.

Eugene sighed, knowing it wouldn't be fun. It was one step closer to his freedom however. That being said, the tired boy lifted his head and asked "What do I have to do?"

 _Down the street_

The pre-teens were all enjoying ice cream from the Jolly Olly Man. Everyone stood there happily holding their favorite ice cream in their hands. All except one that is…

"What's up with you man?" Gerald asked his depressed friend.

Arnold let out a heavy sigh, while he stared at the ice cream melting in his hand. "I was just thinking about Eugene. Everyone was laughing at him when he fell down the steps."

Gerald lifted an eyebrow at his friend's story and said "Arnold, that kid hurts himself every day. Why does falling down a few steps suddenly make it such a big deal?"

The blonde boy began to rub his neck, feeling guilty for having witnessed the incident. "I don't know. I just wish there was something I could do about it."

Shaking his head at his worrisome friend, Gerald replied "Whatever you say Arnold."

 _Across The Street_

"Okay Eugene, you know what to do." Big Gino said, while patting the depressed boy on the back.

The soon to be free boy began walking across the street. Gino stood with a smile on his face as he watched his client begin to take off.

"What exactly is he doing boss?" the mob asked.

Gino continued to watch Eugene approach the ice cream truck, as he explained "Once he steps in front of the truck, he'll be finished for good. That'll teach him to steal my candy."

Ignoring Gino's explanation, the mob stared at the Jolly Olly man's truck. "I want some ice cream boss!"

"Not now you idiot. This is the moment of truth." Gino insisted, still watching the redhead slowly drag his feet across the street.

"Come on boss! I want some!"

Gino's evil grin finally turned to a set of rolling eyes, as he turned to face his annoying team. "I'm the boss and this is more important!"

The impatient team then pushed the stuck up mob leader into the street. Their forceful gesture pushed the tortured preteen out of the way of the truck. "OW! I'm okay!"

While Eugene laid on the curb, holding his head, he opened his eyes to see Gino laying in the street.

The truck was beginning to start when the kind boy quickly pulled the evil mob leader out of it's way.

The other pre-teens who were standing near by with their ice cream, looked to see the two boys lying on the ground.

Arnold immediately walked over to Eugene and asked "What's going on?"

Ignoring the question, Big Gino helped himself to his feet. He pointed a finger at Eugene, who continued to kneel on the ground. "You owe me one more humiliating moment Eugene."

Arnold watched his friend lower his head to the ground and asked "What are you talking about Gino?"

Gino looked at the nosy boy and explained "Your friend here seems to think it's okay to steal from people. I told him I'd let him off the hook if he performed a few humiliating tasks over the years."

"Wait a minute...you're telling me this kid's not a real jinx?" Gerald asked, getting his facts straight.

The rest of the group stood in bewilderment as Stinky said "I reckon he's one heck of an actor then."

"You said a mouthful there pal." Helga agreed, with a hand on her hip, and her chocolate covered bubblegum drumstick in the other.

After letting the information sink in, Arnold realized there was no limit to how far Gino was willing to go.

The oblong headed boy helped his friend up, and said to the mob leader "Gino, don't you think this has gone on long enough? I don't know all the details, but it looks like Eugene just saved your life. He didn't have to, but he did. Even when he knew you were going to continue treating him like this. Not too many people would be nice enough to do a thing like that."

"Arnold, this is business. If I recall correctly, you still owe us a swirly." A wide grin formed on the mob boss' face, having developed an idea.

"A swirly? What in the heck for?" Stinky asked.

Arnold rolled his eyes at the memory, and the long story behind it. He glanced over to see Sid trembling at the thought of bringing it up in front of the group. For all they knew, Gino could plan to pull him into this mess.

Before Arnold could give his opinion, Gino added "I think I know a way to solve this little dilemma. Eugene, your debt will be repaid if you get a swirly. Arnold, we'll never mention it again, if _you_ give it to him."

Eugene lowered his head, ready to have it done and over with. He had encountered plenty of terrible moments throughout the years, why did this matter?

An outraged look formed on Arnold's face however, as he snapped "Forget it! I'm not going to do that to him!"

Gino then snapped his fingers, expecting his gang to take care of the problem. After not seeing the action taking place, the mob leader turned to see his group at the Jolly Olly man's truck.

"Hey uze guys! Get over here!"

"In a minute boss! We're hungry!" the gang informed him.

Gino marched over to his workers and snapped "Hey! I told you we have business to take care of. Forget about the ice cream!"

The gang was tired of taking orders from their pushy leader who never even showed them appreciation for the orders they were willing to follow.

The two then shared an angry look, as they picked up Gino. "Hey! What do uze guys think you're doing?!"

The pre-teens watched the leader being carried away, unsure of what was happening. Eugene and Arnold couldn't help but follow, wondering how things would end.

 _P.S.118_

The boys followed the gang with their screaming leader back into the school. While Big Gino yelled, demanding to be set down, the mob lead on towards the end of the hall.

Arnold and Eugene raced after to see the mob carry their leader into the school's restroom. The boys watched, amazed at what they were witnessing.

"Here ya go boss!" one member said, while watching the other flush their leader's head in the toilet.

After the unpleasant experience, Gino sat on the hard floor, choking from the situation. He had never felt so vulnerable. Sure he was short and could easily be taken advantage of, but no one had ever had the nerve to do so before. His tough attitude was what made him bigger than the rest of the group. Now that no one was afraid of him, he sat sopping wet on the floor, feeling like a helpless loser.

Arnold and Eugene stood still amazed at the door, as they watched the two mob men approach them. "You guys want to get some ice cream?" they asked.

"Uhhh sure." Arnold replied, as he and Eugene followed them out of the school.

While walking behind the mob, Arnold looked at his friend and asked "Are you okay Eugene?"

The brave boy looked over with a smile on his face and replied "Yeah Arnold. I really am okay!"

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**BYE - BYE - DADDY!**

Gerald was sitting in the living room with his friends. It was the final episode of the 6th season of Pop Daddy. The action filled television program had been the highlight of Gerald's afternoon for the past six years.

"So what's this Pop person got that makes him worthy of taking up half an hour of our day?" Helga smirked, leaning her head in her hand against the arm of the couch.

Gerald ignored the annoyed girl's remark, keeping his eyes glued to the television with a bowl of popcorn in his hands.

After seeing her friend was still waiting for a response, Phoebe chimed in. "I believe the new and creative ways the writers find for the characters to perform dangerous tasks such as these, are what manage to withhold the attention of their viewers."

Helga rolled her eyes at her friend's explanation, knowing she wasn't going to enjoy the next thirty minutes of her life.

Arnold wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, and began to rub her shoulder. "Don't worry. We can do something fun later tonight."

Helga lifted her head to meet her beloved's signature smile with her dreamy eyes. She was tempted to let out a heavy swoon, before hearing…

"Pop! Pop! Pop Daddy!"

The mood was then killed, when the pigtailed girl looked over to see the enthusiastic boy doing the hand motions for the song.

 _Criminy. I'm living in Geeksville…_

 _30 Minutes Later_

"Another righteous episode of Pop Daddy!" Gerald exclaimed. Just as he was preparing to take the finished bowl of popcorn to the kitchen, an announcement was made at the end of the episode.

"Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the final episode of Pop Daddy! Our star is retiring, but don't worry...you still have one last chance to see him!"

Gerald's jaw dropped in awe. _Retiring? No more Pop Daddy? This can't be true?_

"Send in a letter proving to us you're Pop Daddy's most loyal fan! The winner will have the honor of meeting our star for dinner!"

Arnold then turned off the television, while the group turned to see Gerald staring at the blank screen.

"Gerald? Are you okay?" the blonde boy asked his stunned friend.

"He appears to be in a bit of a trance." Phoebe said with a concerned look on her face.

Moments later, Gerald began to blink. He shook his head, realizing everything he had just heard was true. "I've got to win that contest man!"

Helga smacked the arm of the couch in disbelief as she scoffed "Criminy, not another Ronnie Matthews scenario."

"It'll be okay Gerald. If you don't win, you still got to see all his episodes." Arnold said, hoping to make his friend look on the bright side.

"This isn't an episode man! It's the real thing!" Gerald exclaimed, standing from the couch.

"Whatever. Come on Pheebs." Helga insisted, as she began to head for the door.

Phoebe gave her boyfriend a concerned look, hoping he wouldn't make too big a deal of this. She learned from her previous obsession with a star, they're not always what they seem.

"Coming Helga."

After watching the girls leave, Arnold followed his anxious friend into the kitchen. "So, did you want to go get some ice cream?"

Gerald quickly whipped his head around after placing the bowl in the sink. "Are you crazy man? I've got to get started on that paper."

Arnold sighed hopelessly. His friend was always calm and cool about everything. Now his favorite tv star was going off the air, and it had him acting like Sid II.

 _Phoebe's Room_

"Pop daddy. Pttss...please!" Helga scoffed, leaning against her friend's bed, with her legs stretched across the floor.

Phoebe sat in her desk chair, trying to empathize with her boyfriend. She knew how exciting the thought of meeting your hero was. She always knew the risks of it.

"I fear there maybe more to the situation than the show coming to an end."

Helga cocked her brow at her friend and asked "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The star of the show is someone Gerald deeply admires. If there was ever a chance the actor appeared less than what he seems, the truth could indeed crush Gerald."

Helga stood from the floor, annoyed with the whole ordeal. "Phoebe, come on. It's a stupid television show. For crying out loud, Geraldo knows the difference between a real cop and one that can't complete his job without some lame rap music to go along with it. Sheesh!"

 _Gerald's Room_

After his best friend had left, Gerald raced upstairs, ready to work on his essay. The eager boy spent hours not only writing reasons why he would be the perfect choice, but proof that he qualified to be the star of the show himself. Hours were spent providing descriptions of his favorite star's episodes, and the lessons learned from them.

 _The Boarding House_

Arnold was sitting at the dining room table, eating dinner with his family. Phil noticed a sour facial expression on his grandson's face and asked "What's eatin' ya shortman?"

Arnold pushed his plate of spaghetti aside and replied "It's Gerald. He's entering a contest to meet his favorite television star. I'm worried about his reaction if he doesn't win."

"TV show huh? What is it? Baseball, Dino Spumoni, some crazy cartoon…" Phil went on, before Arnold interrupted.

"It's a show called Pop Daddy. The show's going off the air, and Gerald's really upset about it."

Phil pushed his plate of pasta aside and said to his grandson "Arnold, did I ever tell you about the time I took your grandma to see the movie "Remember me?"

"Uhhh no?"

"That's probably because we never saw it. The commercials for the movie had been on for weeks. Finally, I took her out to see it. We arrived at the theater to see the tickets were sold out. That's okay though, because I learned an important lesson."

"What was it?" the blonde boy asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't get your hopes up about anything. If you always have low expectations, you'll never be disappointed about anything!"

Arnold stood from the table after listening to his grandpa's advice. "Uhh right grandpa."

 _Gerald's Room_

After finishing his paper, Gerald smiled at his written work. The overly content boy left his essay sitting on his desk, and decided to get ready for bed. He slipped under the covers, anxiously awaiting the moment he'd be dropping it in the mailbox.

 _The Next Day_

Gerald awoke, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. After stretching a moment, he looked over to find the essay was missing from his desk. "Huh?!"

The concerned boy raced downstairs to see his sister coloring in the kitchen. "Has anyone seen…"

"Hey Gerald. I'm coloring the characters from your favorite tv show onto your paper for you. Aren't they pretty?" Timberly smiled, while holding the ruined sheet up for her brother to see.

"Timberly! Are you crazy?!" Gerald asked, snatching the paper away from his sister.

As Gerald stood holding the paper in awe, the kids heard "What's going on in here?"

Timberly looked behind her brother to see their dad entering the room. "I was showing Gerald the pretty pictures I drew for his paper."

"Paper? Is that a school assignment Gerald?" Martin asked.

Gerald sighed, as he left the kitchen, not bothering to explain things. The low spirited boy crumpled up his paper to throw into the garbage can sitting outside his house.

 _One Week Later_

Arnold, Helga, and Phoebe were sitting in Gerald's living room. Gerald was flipping through the channels when he heard Arnold say "Why aren't you putting it on Pop Daddy Gerald?"

The depressed boy turned to his friend and replied "What are you talking about man? The season's over."

Helga rolled her eyes at the moping pre-teen and scowled "Which _means_ they're announcing the winner of the essay contest. DOI!"

Not having told his friends what happened, Gerald sighed and said "Man just forget about it."

Arnold watched his crushed friend rise from the couch to head for the kitchen. After seeing the remote sitting alone, Helga leaned over her friends to snatch it.

The group looked at the anxious teen, assuming she was about to put it on Wrestlemania. Helga then flipped to the channel her friend's hero was making his last appearance on.

"I thought you hated this show?" Arnold felt the need to point out.

"Maybe I don't hate it as much as you thought okay? Criminy!" the annoyed girl snapped.

Arnold looked to Phoebe who was shrugging her shoulders, just as perplexed as he was. The three then leaned back on the couch, ready to listen to the announcement.

"Thank you all for your entries! Your dedication and loyalty to the show has meant the world to our actors. Now the moment of truth…"

Arnold felt Helga shifting a bit on the couch, as if she was anxious to discover the winner. While the winner was about to be announced, Gerald came in to stand in the entry of the living room. Leaning against the doorway, he stood and watched the television.

"The winner is...Helga Pataki!"

The group's eyes widened in disbelief, while Helga did her best to keep her cool. Leaning back on the sofa with her arms crossed, Helga didn't react to the announcement. Arnold immediately looked over at his girlfriend however and exclaimed "Helga? You entered the contest?! When?"

 _Flashback_

Walking down the street, Helga was making her way towards her beloved's. Gerald's sudden interest in his essay and the concern Arnold felt for him had killed the romantic mood they shared that night.

While the boisterous girl was making her way down the street, she passed her action show loving friend's house. Helga closed her eyes and shook her head at her friend's obsession with the show. This didn't stop her from continuing to march forward.

"Criminy!" the agitated girl shouted, having tripped over a rock. Helga quickly caught herself, as she was able to grab hold of the trashcan in front of her. There in the garbage that for once didn't possess her stalking classmate, lyed a crumpled up paper.

Helga couldn't help but open it, just to see what it was.

 _End of flashback_

"All I had to do was rewrite the stupid thing on a fresh sheet of paper. For crying out loud, she colored over it with light crayons, not permanent markers." Helga glared, astounded at Gerald's little effort to fix his problem.

"That was a wonderful gesture you performed Helga." Phoebe pointed out.

Gerald approached the couch, speechless at what his friend had done for him. "Thanks Pataki."

"Eh, just be glad I made it there before the garbage truck."

Arnold smiled at his girlfriend's modesty and how she always managed to do the right thing. The way the strength of her caring gestures outweighed her pessimistic behavior, never ceased to amaze him.

 _The Following Weekend_

"I'm finally going to meet him man! I'm finally going to meet Pop Daddy!" Gerald exclaimed, while heading towards the studio with Arnold.

Arnold smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. Although Gerald was a happy person, there were few things that could cause him to become overly anxious. "I'm really happy for you Gerald."

The boys then stopped in front of the studio. The new contest winner waved goodbye to his friend, and marched up the steps to meet his hero.

 _Helga's House_

Helga sat in the living room with her legs crossed over the side of the chair, and a comic in her hand. She was peacefully enjoying herself, until a knock on the door came.

 _Oh for crying out loud!_

She thought to herself, knowing her mother was too far gone to answer it. Helga answered the door to see her boyfriend standing before her. A sweet smile formed on her face. Before she allowed herself to get too caught up in her dream world, she shook her head and asked "What are you doing here football head? Shouldn't you be looking after Geraldo?"

Arnold walked inside towards his girlfriend. "I thought you'd like to watch Wrestlemania together. Maybe I could learn some new moves." Arnold winked at the now nervous girl.

Helga couldn't help but let out a swoon, while her beloved took her hand in his. The oblong headed boy pulled his girlfriend into the living room, ready to watch their inspirational program.

 _Studio_

Gerald patiently yet anxiously sat outside the doorway of his hero. There he waited, ready to be invited to meet the widely known television star. After moments of fantasizing, the excited pre-teen turned his head to see the door opening.

Pop-Daddy's assistant came to approach Gerald with some needed information. "Hello, my name is Cynthia, Pop Daddy's assistant. A few rules about being with him…"

Don't try to convince him to make a new season

Don't ask to try on his Pop Daddy sunglasses

Don't ask what his real name is

Gerald continuously nodded his head at the list of instructions. It didn't matter how crazy the requests or demands were, nothing was going to ruin the moment.

 _Helga's House_

"Bulls eye!" the tomboyish girl shouted.

Arnold watched his girlfriend lean forward on the couch, as if it was his best friend viewing Pop Daddy. Wrapping his arm around her, he began to rub her shoulder and said "So, you really enjoy this type of thing?"

Rolling her eyes at the senseless question, Helga scoffed "What's it look like hairboy?"

Arnold let out a small laugh and replied "I guess I'll have to pay closer attention to their moves if I ever expect that kind of attention from you."

Helga's eyes widened at the statement. She nervously gulped as she began to tug at her collar. "Uhhh yeah. I guess so."

 _Studio_

It was the moment of truth. Cynthia was opening the door for Gerald to see his long awaited hero. "Gerald, meet Pop Daddy!"

The television star stood from his chair to shake the hand of his loyal fan. "Hello my brother."

A wide grin formed on Gerald's face. "It's great to meet you!"

"I thought it would be. Let's get something to eat." the monotone actor insisted.

Gerald eagerly followed the star out of the room, not caring where they were going to eat. Just the fact that he was going to be eating with Pop Daddy was enough to make his night.

 _Helga's House_

"Well, that was an interesting episode." Arnold said, unsure of himself.

"Pttss...please. Since when do you find anything aggressive interesting?" Helga scoffed, as she leaned back on the couch with her arms crossed.

Arnold took the opportunity to take the remote. After turning off the tv, he looked at his unimpressed girlfriend. Placing a hand on her face, stroking her cheek lightly, he said "Since I met you."

Helga's bored facial expression turned to a loving one, as she watched her beloved approaching her lips. Arnold held her face in his hands, thinking about the sweet thing she had done for their friend. It was hard to believe someone with such a sweet heart could be obsessed with something so aggressive.

 _Five Star Diner_

After entering to a welcoming group of fans, Gerald followed his idol to a table. Pop Daddy sat, already knowing what he planned to order. The waitress came and listened to the movie star say in a rough voice "This young viewer and I will have a couple of burgers."

Gerald stared at his favorite star, not knowing what to ask about first. Pop Daddy leaned back with his arms spread across the back of the booth. "What's on your mind kid?"

"I was just wondering…"

"Why I'm quitting." the popular actor finished for his fan.

"Uhhh yeah." Gerald admitted.

"It's just time to move on. Like in my episode of 'Move it along.' People get tired of seeing the same thing over and over. Better I end it with a good rating, than letting it drag on until it becomes stale and repetitive."

Gerald nodded in agreement, trying not to be disappointed. Although he wanted the show to continue, he knew how right the star of the show was.

"I hear ya man."

 _Two Hours Later_

After a night spent speaking to his hero, Gerald was dropped off at his house by Pop Daddy. The content boy left the limo, happy to have had a chance to share the night with his idol.

"Thanks for dinner man!"

Pop Daddy watched his lifelong fan turn slowly and sadly to head for the house. Wishing he could do something, the movie star said "Hey kid…"

Gerald quickly turned and asked "Huh?"

Pop Daddy motioned for Gerald to come closer towards the limo. "Because I hate to see a fan feeling so low, I'll tell you a secret."

Gerald's eyes lit with excitement as he replied "Sure man, what is it?"

"My real name is Arnold."

Gerald stood amazed, as he watched the limo take off. After hearing this, Gerald stood and thought to himself a moment. Pop Daddy had always been his hero. A hero is someone who is admired for their great acts or fine qualities.

Arnold, his best friend, did something every day to imply he deserved a title such as this. He truly was Gerald's best friend.

Gerald's thoughts about his recent discovery were interrupted by a sweet voice behind him. "Did you have a nice time Gerald?"

The once again laid back boy turned to see his girlfriend approaching his porch steps. "Hey babe. It was great!"

Phoebe smiled at the response, happy to find her boyfriend's night with his hero hadn't turned out to be a huge disappointment. "I'm quite pleased to hear this."

"Me too babe. Me too."

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**DEVOTED OPPOSITES**

Nadine and Rhonda were walking down the street after school one Friday afternoon. Nadine was holding an empty box, she planned on using to gather some insects with. Rhonda had something else on her mind however…

"I cannot believe Pre-Teen Miss will be here next weekend! Now that I own every outfit their magazines have to offer, I must see their performance in them!"

Ignoring her friend's obsession with the magazine, Nadine said "I'm going to the lake to catch some insects I've been hoping to find. Want to come with me?" the nature girl asked her modish friend.

Rhonda gave a repulsed look, as she turned to her friend and said "Seriously Nadine, when are you going to drop that filthy habit of yours?"

"Catching insects isn't filthy Rhonda. In fact…" the girls' conversation was then interrupted by a new face that was approaching them.

"Excuse me?"

An evil smile formed on Rhonda's face, as she watched the cute boy walking their way. Seeing his dark brown hair, blue eyes, and muscular body, the snooty girl said to her friend "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Nadine stared at the attractive pre-teen. She had never been the type to care about luring guys in with feminine techniques, such as her friend. There was something about this boy that didn't make the idea of it seem so bad however.

When coming closer to them, the cute boy asked "Do you two happen to know where the Avon Theater is? I'm supposed to be meeting some friends there."

Nadine gulped at the question, while Rhonda easily explained "Walk to the end of Vine Street. Turn right, and it will be on the corner."

"Great! Thanks!"

After waving goodbye to the girls, Rhonda watched the attractive boy head away. "That was indeed interesting."

Nadine turned to face her friend, not sure of what she was referring to. "What do you mean?"

"Oh please Nadine! Don't try to deny it."

The nature girl continued to give her confident friend a perplexed look, as she asked "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you two were looking at each other. You couldn't have been more obvious."

Nadine's eyes widened at the accusation. Was her nervousness really that noticeable?

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

Rhonda stuck her nose up at her friend's sad attempt to deny what had happened.

 _A Few Hours Later_

Having spent the afternoon gathering all the different insects she could find with her friend, Nadine began heading home with a full box of them. The nature girl's fascination with her hobby had made her forget about what happened earlier that day. That is, until she heard…

"Hey there!"

Nadine quickly looked up from her box of bugs to see the same cute boy approaching her.

"Oh umm hi." the nervous girl gulped, as she continued to stare at the nice pre-teen.

"Thanks for the directions. I was meeting some old friends there. I moved to another city a few years ago. We just moved back, so it'll probably take me awhile to remember everything around here."

A small smile form on Nadine's face, knowing she had helped this captivating young man. "It was nothing." she laughed nervously.

"Maybe you could show me around? I'm Jordan by the way."

"I'm Nadine." she replied, reaching out to shake his hand.

Although he didn't say anything, he could feel her hand shaking within his own. The two shared a sweet look of interest within each other's eyes that was interrupted.

"Ow!"

Nadine's eyes widened when she watched Jordan turn to smack a mosquito off his arm.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I hate bugs though." he admitted, still rubbing the spot that had been bitten.

The blonde girl began to tremble at the thought of what would happen if he found out about her interest. Just when she was about to leave, she listened to Jordan ask "What's in the box?"

The insect lover hid the box close to her chest, as she replied "It's nothing. So, what did you want to do tomorrow?"

"You can decided. Like I said, I don't remember too much about this place."

Nadine forgot about the fact she was speaking to a stunning young man for two seconds, and turned her mind to everything she knew there was to do around there…

 _We can't play baseball with just two people. It's obvious he wouldn't want to go to the lake. He's already seen the theater. The park would be kind of boring…_

The hopeful girl then looked up and replied "We could go to Slausens. It's an ice cream parlor my friends and I spend a lot of time at."

An anxious look formed on Jordan's place as he replied "Oh yeah! I remember that place! I used to go there all the time with my friends too."

Nadine smiled at the idea of having at least one thing in common with this sweet boy. After deciding that would be their plan for the next day, Jordan waved to her and said "See you tomorrow around noon."

Rather than responding, Nadine simply waved goodbye to her new friend. After watching him leave, she let out a deep sigh. Her eyes then dropped to the box in her hands as she thought to herself…

 _How am I going to hide this from him? What are we going to talk about?_

 _The Next Day_

Nadine was sitting at Slausens with a Vanilla Milkshake she had barely touched. The nervous girl twiddled her thumbs, wondering how well things would go for the two of them. The truth would come out eventually.

She then looked up to see Jordan entering the parlor. The smiling boy took a seat with her, after easily spotting her at the booth she was in.

When he was about to get a conversation going, the waitress walked over and asked "What can I get you darling?"

"I'll just have a chocolate shake." he replied.

Nadine sat, already nervous at the thought of what he would think of her drink. His disapproval of bugs made her think the slightest difference between the two of them could ruin things.

Once the waitress left, Jordan turned to see his new friend sipping on her drink. "You like vanilla shakes? My sister loves those things!"

A smile began to form at the intrigued look the sweet boy was wearing. "Really? I mean, that's cool."

"Yeah. So what kinds of things do you do around here?"

Nadine looked away to face the window. Her favorite hobby sounded like something that would scare him away in less than a minute…

"Well, I like to play baseball with my friends…" before she could continue, an exciting look appeared on Jordan's face.

"Where do you play?"

"It's a vacant lot we cleaned up. It was full of garbage before my friend Arnold suggested using it as our new field."

A perplexed look formed on Jordan's face as if he was thinking about something. Nadine began to sink down in her seat, assuming he found it to be a dumb idea. Why not just play at the park?

She was about to change the subject, when she heard "Is that the lot with the scoreboard that says Gerald Field?"

Nadine blushed at the question. Although Gerald found it to be a cool name, she wasn't sure what this new pre-teen would think of it.

"Uhh yeah, it is."

"You guys did a great job with it. Practically everyone I knew used it as their own garbage can." Jordan laughed at the memory.

Nadine sat up in her seat, relieved at the way things were going.

 _A Few Hours Later_

Having finished their ice cream, the two friends decided it was time to get going. "That was fun. I enjoyed talking with you." Jordan said.

Nadine's eyes lit up, as she said excitedly "Me too! Thanks for coming."

Jordan began walking her home. The walk was silent for a few minutes, as neither of them had anything else to say.

That is, until Nadine heard what she had been dreading. "I hate to pry, but I've been wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"What was in that box you were carrying?"

The blonde girl began to quiver with fear. She stopped her walk, while lifting a hand to rub her neck. Jordan watched his friend stand, anxiously trying to think of an excuse. "Oh, I was just uh…"

"What? You can tell me." he insisted, as if they had been friends for years.

Nadine let out a deep sigh after not being able to think of an excuse. "I was carrying a box of insects home. I like to collect them. It's sort of a hobby of mine."

"My friend Robbie does the same thing." Jordan replied, watching Nadine's head quickly shoot up to look at him.

"Really?"

Nodding his head at the question, Jordan answered "Yeah. I've never cared for them, but he likes to search the lake for whatever kinds he can find. I don't like to help, but I remember going there just to hang out with him."

Nadine began to think of how similar this was to her and Rhonda. Although Rhonda was never going to share this interest with Nadine, she was still willing to tolerate it, just to keep their friendship.

 _Rhonda's House_

"What's wrong Princess?" Mr. Lloyd asked his daughter.

Rhonda sat on the back porch with her dad. Her arms were crossed, and a frown was stretched across her face. "I just went to buy tickets for the Pre-Teen Miss show that is now sold out!"

"Now buck up Princess." Mr. Lloyd insisted, while watching his angry daughter lean back in her seat.

The modish girl's sulking was interrupted when she heard "Rhonda darling, you have a visitor."

The disappointed girl wasn't in the mood for visitors. She rolled her eyes as she stood from her chair to see who was there to see her.

 _The Front Door_

Nadine stood anxiously waiting to see her friend. After her heartfelt discussion about interests with the cute boy, she had no regrets about this decision.

The blonde girl then watched the door open, where she saw her friend standing before her. "What is it Nadine?"

"Are you alright Rhonda?" the nature girl asked.

"If you must know, tickets to the Pre-Teen Miss show are sold out!" Rhonda exclaimed.

A smile formed on Nadine's face, as she replied "You know, after you said how disgusted you were with the idea of going to the lake, you still went with me. It made me think, even though I don't complain about your interests, I never participate in yours. That's why I got these."

 _Flashback_

 _Previous Night_

After watching Jordan walk away, Nadine looked down at the box of bugs in her hands. Her mind went from thinking about how easily it may scare him off, to the way Rhonda reacted. Although she hated them, she continued to be Nadine's friend; her best friend.

 _Studio_

"I'd like two tickets to Pre-Teen Miss please." Nadine requested.

"You're lucky kid. These are the last two!"

 _End Of Flashback_

Rhonda's eyes lit with anticipation as she quickly grabbed what seemed like gold to her out of her friend's hands. "Oh my gosh! Nadine! I can't believe it!"

Rhonda anxiously hugged Nadine, knowing what a great friend she was. The girls began to walk down the street, talking about Nadine's date. "So, how was your date?"

Nadine blushed at the question, still nervous about the whole ordeal. "It was nice. He reminded me differences don't always affect how close people are with each other."

The stylish girl smiled at her friend's response. Looking down at the tickets and the thoughtful gesture that had been performed, she replied "Perhaps we could go to the lake soon. I have been looking to show off my new Pre-Teen Miss water-resistant shoes."

"Sounds great!"

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 _ **THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Shape-A-Litus**

 _The Boarding House_

Arnold was sitting in the kitchen, reading his dad's journal. Aside from the amusing stories he heard from his grandparents, that book was the only piece of evidence he had of his parents existence.

Phil walked into the kitchen to see his grandson happily reading at the table. "Hey there shortman! Whatcha got there?"

Arnold looked up from his book and said "Oh hey grandpa. I was just reading my dad's journal."

"Again huh? Well don't worry shortman. They could still come back one day." Phil sighed, patting his grandson on the back.

Arnold smiled, as he looked over to see his grandma setting a plate of pancakes in front of him. "Eat up Tex!"

The blonde boy stood from the table and replied "No thanks grandma. I've got to get to school. I'll just take this apple with me."

"See ya shortman." Phil waved goodbye to his grandson, and reached for the journal that had been left on the table.

"Hehe. Miles sure wrote a lot of crazy things in here."

"Tex left a full plate of uneaten flapjacks! Where will he get his strength for the battle today?!"

Phil looked up from the book to glare at his eccentric wife, and said "Maybe not that crazy."

 _P.S.118_

"Hey buddy. Ready to continue that lecture on fake diseases?" Gerald asked, while heading towards the class with his best friend.

"I guess. I don't really see the point if they're not real though." Arnold shrugged his shoulders.

Lifting an eyebrow at his friend's assumption, Gerald said "Arnold, do you really think half of what that guy teaches us is necessary, or does he just find it special?"

"Well I…" Before the blonde boy could give his response, he was shoved into a row of lockers.

"One side moron! I'm walking here!"

After helping his friend to his feet, Gerald shook his head and said "Mm, mm, mmm. So what kind of crazy disease do you think _she_ possesses?"

 _Classroom_

Phoebe was sitting in her desk, ready to start class when she saw her friend stomping into the room. She looked over at the frustrated girl who plopped down into her seat with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"Good morning Helga. How are you today?"

After rolling her eyes at the thought of her friend ever thinking she would have a decent morning with her family, Helga turned her head to explain…

 _Flashback_

After searching the house for her lunchbox, Helga did what she found to be pointless and asked her mother where it could be.

She shook her drowsy parent who she found leaning against the counter. "Mom! Mom! Miriam!"

"Huh? What? Oh I'm awake."

Standing with her hands on her waist, Helga said in a pleading tone "Mom, I'm late for school, and no one packed my lunch?"

Miriam began searching the kitchen, sure she remembered doing it the previous night. "I did sweetie! It's right...oh let's see...oh here it is!"

Helga starred upset as she watched her mother hand her a brown paper bag that was in the fridge.

Snatching the bag, the angry girl scowled "What the heck happened to my lunchbox?"

"Oh well see sweetie, I lost my purse, so I needed something to put my wallet in when I went to the store the other day…"

"And where the heck is it now?" the vexed girl asked, cocking her brow.

"It's uhhh around here somewhere I'm sure."

 _End of Flashback_

"The only time those morons remember I exist is when they think it will benefit them!" Helga scowled, waving her arms in the air.

A sympathetic look formed on the intelligent girl's face as she replied "I'm terribly sorry Helga."

The blonde girl leaned her head in her hand, as she began doodling in her notebook and sighed "Don't sweat it Pheebs."

Mr. Simmons entered the room just as the remainder of his students did. Helga was too upset to bother with shooting spitballs at the boy in front of her.

After everyone had taken their seats, the class heard the teacher say "Okay everyone. We're going to continue our lecture on Scientific Diseases."

Although she didn't say anything, Helga was laughing inside at the thought of ever believing she had Monkeynucleosis. On the other hand, at times she felt it would have been one of her many chances to reveal her true feelings to Arnold…

The school plays, the holidays they spent together, the activities they were partnered up in, not to mention every time they bumped into each other on a street corner.

Despite the perfect chance it would have been to reveal the truth to the one she loved, joy and relief filled her heart knowing she wouldn't have to (even more so that she wasn't about to expire).

While the blonde girl continued to draw, ignoring the lecture, Mr. Simmons went on to introduce a new disease.

"Class, today we're going to be learning about Shape-A-Litus!"

"Shape-A-What now?" Stinky asked, not understanding the name anymore than he felt he would the description of it.

"Shape-A-Litus Stinky. It's a disease pertaining to a person being deformed. Similar to Monkeynucleosis. However, in this case, a person is born with unusual features."

"What kind of features?" Sid asked, raising his hand in curiosity.

"For instance, crooked ears, one leg longer than the other, or in rare cases, an oddly shaped head."

No one in the class paid these descriptions any attention, except for one student. Arnold's eyes widened at the thought of perhaps having acquired the disease.

"In what world could something so ridiculous happen to a person?" Rhonda sneered, leaning back in her seat.

"Well Rhonda, scientists believe rare signs from nature may have an unusual effect on the outcome of a person."

Arnold sat listening to the lecture, remembering what his dad had written towards the end of the journal…

 _When you were born, you silenced the volcano, and all of nature._

 _A Few Hours Later_

It was at last time for lunch, and everyone was anxious to rise from their seats except the boy with the oddly shaped head.

Helga headed for the cafeteria, not yet having bothered to look and see what Miriam had packed for her.

While Phoebe was following her friend out the door, Gerald stood from his desk to see his friend was still sitting. "Hey Arnold, aren't you coming to lunch man?"

The distracted boy turned towards his friend and replied "Huh? Oh yeah."

 _Cafeteria_

After choosing a table, Helga sat with her friend who was anxious to see her mother had cut the crust off her peanut butter sandwich; precisely the way she liked it.

Having taken a deep breath, the somber girl poured her lunch bag out to see a familiar book.

Cocking her brow at the sight of it, she said "I thought you took this book to the library for me Pheebs?"

Thinking back to the day Helga feared she was on the verge of expiring, Phoebe replied "I'm afraid I must have set the book down outside your bedroom when I realized what was going through your mind. I do apologize."

Helga sighed, not only at the thought of once again having to say she was packed a non-edible lunch, but at having to return the book to the library.

"Don't sweat it Pheebs."

 _Another Table_

"Can you imagine having one leg or arm longer than the other? That'd be so cool!" Sid exclaimed, not caring to focus on his lunch.

"I reckon you'd never have to worry about losing a basketball game. On account of you'd have no problem reaching the goal." Stinky concluded.

"Who cares about that dumb disease? If it can't make your stomach grow twice it's normal size, it's just stupid!" Harold whined, digging into his sandwich.

 _Another Table_

Gerald sat eating, while noticing Arnold wasn't touching his food. "Man, what's up with you?"

Arnold looked up from his crossed arms on the table and sighed "It's nothing."

The tranquil boy lifted an eyebrow at his friend and said "It doesn't seem like nothing."

The blonde boy knew how ridiculous it would sound if he said 'I think I have Shape-A-Litus.' It just seemed like too big a coincidence to overlook however.

After not answering his friend, Arnold continued to sit, wondering if there was another way to confirm he had the disease.

 _Classroom_

Everyone was back in their seats while Mr. Simmons was starting the Nutrition lecture. That didn't mean everyone was paying him their attention however.

Helga sat flipping through the book, and all the crazy diseases listed in it…

Monkeynucleosis

Atlantis Complex

Bazi Plague

Bloodfire

Cooties

Shape-A-Litus

The unamused girl continued ignoring the Nutrition lecture as she thought to herself…

 _I should have known that thing was a joke the moment I saw Cooties listed in here. Sheesh!_

 _A Few Hours Later_

Class ended and Helga headed out to return the overdue book to the library. Gerald once again saw his friend taking his time to rise from his seat. Giving him a questioning look, the placid boy said "So, you ready to go play some catch buddy?"

Arnold slowly stood from his desk as he hesitantly replied "Actually Gerald. I need to stop by the library for something."

"What for?" Although Gerald wasn't the type to over-react, his friend's behavior was causing him to grow a bit skeptical.

"I just need to check something out. I'll see you later."

"Whatever you say Arnold." he sighed, watching his friend head towards the hallway.

 _Walk_

Helga was heading towards the library with her nose still buried in the fictional book. As she was rounding the corner of the street, she bumped into a familiar face…

"Arnold!" the dramatic girl cried out after dropping the book.

"Sorry Helga." Arnold sighed after rubbing his head.

Just as Helga noticed a hand being offered to her, she shook her head and snapped "Hey! Watch where you're going you little yellow haired shrimp!"

Had he not been so distracted by her usual insult, Arnold may have noticed the book his angry classmate was picking up off the ground.

 _Library_

After his fierce yet usual encounter with his classmate, Arnold entered the library, hoping to find some helpful information.

The blonde boy approached the receptionist at the front desk and said "Excuse me, I'm looking for a book on strange diseases. Do you have anything that could help me?"

The lady began searching her computer, while Arnold stood anxiously awaiting a response. At last, he heard the receptionist say "Sorry kid. The only book we have is 'Fabled Diseases That Have Been Debunked by Modern Sciences' which _still_ hasn't been returned."

Arnold dropped his shoulders in regret and sighed "Oh well, thanks anyway."

The disappointed boy turned to leave and once again bumped into his vexed classmate. "Sheesh Arnoldo! Quit crashing into me!"

"Sorry Helga."

After apologizing, Arnold couldn't help but stare, wondering what his classmate was there to return.

Helga cocked her brow at her frozen friend and scowled "Why don't you take a picture Arnoldo? It'd last longer!"

Realizing how far gone he was, Arnold shook his head and said "Sorry. I was just wondering what book you were returning."

Rolling her eyes at his nosiness, Helga scoffed "Pttss...not that it's any of your beezewax, but FOR your information, it happens to be a useless piece of junk. I ought to sue the author for misguidance and Simmons for putting the idea in my head."

Once he saw Helga was holding the book he needed, he quickly reached for it.

Helga frowned at his quick attempted and scowled "Hey! It's technically mine until I return it. What do you need it for anyway?"

Arnold began to rub his neck, embarrassed at the idea of admitting why he was there.

"Well I uh…"

The impatient girl stood with the book in one hand and the other on her hip, cocking her brow at her friend. She had never seen Arnold so unsure of himself before. Her beloved was always so optimistic and there to solve their classmates' problems.

"Yeah?"

"I just thought it might be a good idea to read up on some of those diseases Mr. Simmons was talking about."

"Pttss why? You didn't actually think you had one did you?" Helga scoffed, as she watched the blonde boy look towards the floor.

"Oh brother Arnold! It's a book of _fictional_ diseases. It even says _fabled_ on the cover."

What appeared to be an offended look formed on Arnold's face as he countered "Why did you check it out then?"

Helga's eyes widened, as she held the book close to her chest. She could feel her heart pounding, thinking back to the moment she almost confessed her love.

"I...I mean...Well...Hey! Like I said, I plan on suing Simmons and the author of this piece of junk!"

Arnold smiled at her reaction, knowing her reputation was merely a cover. As he had said to her in the cafeteria 'You know Helga. I have a feeling you're a nice, normal, sensitive person, and maybe one day, you won't be afraid to show it.'

"Okay Helga. Well now that we agree it's a bunch of nonsense, what disease did you think you had?" Arnold was curious to know.

 _Criminy! Why can't he mind his own business? Stupid football head!_

"Monkeynucleosis."

Arnold took the book to flip to the disease. There he read the symptoms…

Itching and puffiness

Sweaty palms

Loss of appetite

Irritability

Expiration

Looking up from the book at his friend who was standing with her arms crossed, bewildered she had admitted anything, Arnold asked "You thought you were going to die?"

"Doi! Why did you think I was giving away all my things?" the overwhelmed girl snapped.

"Is that when you were about to tell me something important?" Arnold asked, thinking back to the day.

Helga gulped as she began tugging at her collar. "Important? Uhh don't be ridiculous. Besides, they're waiting to get the book back."

Arnold smiled at his friend who handed the receptionist the long overdue book. He knew the truth, but wasn't going to force her to do anything she wasn't ready to do.

"Do you want to get some ice cream?" he asked, as she headed back his way.

Helga's eyes lowered into a half lidded daze as she began to feel her heart flutter. A swoon released from her that she couldn't hold back. After realizing the trance she had fallen into, she shook her head and said "Whatever floats your boat football head."

The two began heading for Slausens as Helga couldn't help but ask "So, what crazy disease did you think you had?"

Arnold began to blush as he said 'Shape-A-Litus.'

Helga rolled her eyes, knowing why he thought that and scoffed "Arnold, if that existed, don't you think Stinky would have been committed for that huge honker of his?"

"Whatever you say Helga."


	7. Chapter 7

Before reading this, I have to ask your opinion on my story 'How do you feel about ME?' I know we have the option of putting surveys on our profiles, but no one paid attention to the last one I did. I figured I'd try it like this. So about the story…

I liked it

I thought it ended abruptly

I think a chapter explaining Arnold's growing thoughts for Helga in the jungle would be good

Adding anything would stray from the story's purpose; feelings that formed BEFORE the trip

I think it's perfect just as it is

What Started This?

Curly was sitting in his room one night watching TV when a commercial came on…

 _Come to the zoo this weekend! Visits are half price to celebrate the beginning of summer!_

As the eccentric boy sat staring at the caged animals on the commercial, he thought about his lifetime obsession with freeing them. What had brought this on?

 _Flashback_

 _5 Years Ago_

A sweet, normal boy was playing quietly in his room when he heard a knock at the door. Curly turned around to see his parents entering the room. "Happy birthday son! We have a surprise for you!"

The quiet boy sat waiting on the floor with his toys as he watched his father pull out an orange tabby cat from behind his back.

A huge smile formed on the cute boy's face as he took the kitten in his arms. Curly's parents left the room, leaving him alone with his new friend. As the sweet boy hugged his pet tight, an unfortunate incident occurred…

"OWW!"

Curly dropped the kitten after receiving a vicious bite Tears began forming in his eyes, not knowing what the cat's reason for that was. A simple hug resulting in what seemed like an attack.

This didn't take his attention away from the cat however. As the hours went by, Curly noticed more and more what a _playful_ pet he had acquired. It appeared all he had to do was make eye contact with the animal for it to want to pounce on him. It didn't take long for the kind boy to name the intimidating animal Pouncer.

 _1 Month Later_

Seeing his son covered in scratch marks, Curly's father finally said "Son, it's time to get rid of the cat."

Curly hugged his friend tight, not wanting to part with him. Hyper as the animal was, it was still his. Pouncer may have had an attitude, but he and Curly still shared several sweet moments together.

That wasn't enough for the boy's parents however. They weren't going to continue watching their son be attacked daily by an animal they picked out for him.

Tears formed in the small boy's eyes as he felt his father remove Pouncer from his arms to take to the pound.

The heartbroken boy stared out the window as he watched his dad drive away with his pet, imaginging what was about to happen to him. Pouncer would be locked up for who knew how long until someone was nice enough to take him in, or he was put to sleep.

 _1 Week Later_

Curly's grandmother came to visit, excited to see her grandson for their monthly get together. The sweet lady was anxious to tell her grandson what she had picked out for them to do that day.

"Hello sweetie! I'm taking you to the zoo! We're going to see all the nice animals they have there!"

Curly had never been to the zoo before. He held out his hand for his grandma's not knowing what to expect. After a short car ride there, his grandma anxiously walked him inside the zoo.

Right away she led him down the path that showed all the feline caged animals. Lions, tigers, jaguars, etc.

As he held his grandmother's hand, walking down the sidewalk, Curly's heart began to ache at the sight of the caged creatures. No one was there to play with them. They were trapped in those confined spaces.

At last they came across the tigers. The sad boy pressed his face against the bars, staring at what reminded him of his pet. Remembering his father had said Pouncer was going to the pound, the troubled boy stood holding onto the bars, imaging his former pet trapped within a cage.

 _End of Flashback_

Thinking about this made the eccentric boy dig deep into his thoughts. Even if freeing the animals felt like a good thing to do for them, it wasn't going to reunite him with Pouncer.

 _The Next Day_

 _The Pound_

After a night without any sleep, Curly decided there was no reason he couldn't try to visit his old friend. Whether or not it was possible to get him back, he could still find out who his new owner was.

The anxious boy wandered inside to hear the sad cries of the caged animals. Holding his hands against his broken heart, the hopeful boy approached the front desk and said "I'm looking to find out who adopted a kitten named Pouncer a few years ago?"

The receptionist gave a curious look and replied "You'll have to be much more specific than that."

Thinking back to the month he owned the cute kitten, the now eccentric boy began to give an interesting description…

"He has fur like a tiger! Claws sharp as nails! Fangs that could destroy you if you were to make the slightest wrong move HAHAHAHAH!"

Doing her best to ignore the crazy boy, the receptionist searched her computer files until finally saying "The only record of an orange cat named Pouncer was brought here five years ago. A lady named Martha adopted him."

Curly's eyes lit with anticipation as he listened to the information given about the woman. What would he do when he saw Pouncer? Was he still the same mean cat as before?

 _Martha's House_

An elderly lady was sitting in her rocking chair on the front porch, gently stroking her cat. "That's a good boy. That's a good…"

The sweet lady looked up when she heard someone shaking the bars of her gate. Curly stood on the other side as if being more than a few feet away from his old friend was like being deprived of air.

The old woman walked over to unlock the gate and asked "Yes. May I help you?"

The vigorous boy continued to shake on the gate. As he watched her open it for him, he held onto the bars, sliding inside as it opened. While hanging onto the door, Curly looked at the calm cat in the old lady's hands. His mind raced back to the day they met and his heart began to ache at how much happier Pouncer seemed with her.

After staring a moment at Curly, the lady asked again "May I help you?"

The eccentric boy then shook his head and said "I just came to give you my card…"

The elderly lady lifted an eyebrow as she watched the anxious boy search his pockets. "Card?"

After realizing his search was pointless, Curly stuttered "Uhh yeah. I'm this neighborhood's pet protector. If you ever need someone to watch your pets, just give me a call!"

Martha smiled at her new friend and eagerly replied "How wonderful! I've been looking for someone to watch my kitten. I'm about to go on a trip to visit my daughter and her family. Could I bring him by tomorrow?"

Curly's eyes lit with anticipation as he replied "How about I grab everything he needs, and take him with me now?"

Martha hugged her now tame cat tight before handing him over. Curly waved goodbye to Martha, thinking to himself…

 _Now I've just need a tent to camp out in, a box of band-aids in case the worst should happen, and a way to know how much to charge her._

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**I appear to have a case of writer's block. I would be happy to write a story for anyone who gives me an idea. All I ask is that you review the chapters as you read them.**

 **I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to write anyhow. I've been searching for an actual career as opposed to the sad service clerk job with inconsistent hours I currently hold. It would be nice to close with a few good stories to be remembered by.**

 **If you have any ideas, don't hesitate to say so. I would also greatly appreciate your reviews on the stories I've already written. Thank you for your time :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Although This is a one - shot, requested by Cre8ivelybankrupt87, I will be doing a back and forth mixture of one shots and "What If" stories, pertaining to Helga's relationship with Arnold. Ironically, she is also the one who requested those. I hope you enjoy them.**_

 _ **Operation Ruthless**_

It was bad enough Arnold didn't feel the same way about Helga as she did about him. Destroying a night she could have had for a little happiness, just to make him notice her didn't end up doing her any good.

Sure it kept them apart, but it didn't change the way he felt about Ruth. If anything, it made him want her more. As this irritating fact sunk into her mind, the poor girl then watched her best friend walk off with someone who had feelings for her.

It was almost as if Phoebe didn't care how Helga's night turned out, even though she had spent the night by her side, making sure Arnold did not enjoy himself. Helga had never felt so lonely, so betrayed, so hopeless.

Whether or not Arnold lost feelings for Ruth didn't mean he was ever going to earn feelings for her. She realized it was all because of her attitude. How was that supposed to change however, when her attitude was the perfect cover to hide her affections for him? She was in a real catch twenty-two.

While the poor girl stood moping in the dark, Gerald and Arnold were walking home. Gerald noticed the goofy smile hadn't left his friend's face, until he heard something.

"What is it man?" Gerald asked.

Arnold shook his head and turned towards what sounded like sniffling as he replied "I don't know? It sounds like someone's upset."

"It's probably just some kid who didn't get the candy they wanted." Gerald sighed.

Not being able to overlook things, Arnold said "I'll be right back Gerald."

As the laid back boy watched his friend run off to discover the source of the problem, he shook his head and said "He's a bold kid."

Arnold was running towards the fair entrance when he saw Helga standing alone in the dark…

 _Why is she in a neck brace?_

As Helga stood looking for a can to kick, doing her best to forget everything that had happened, she heard "Hey Helga."

The frightened girl screamed "Arnold! I mean...what are you doing here football head? The fair's over!"

Being the gentleman that he was, Arnold replied "I heard something and just wanted to make sure everything is okay. By the way, what are you doing in a neck brace?"

Helga's eyes lit with fear as she thought to herself…

 _Oh great...NOW he notices me!_

"I just had a little accident with the bumper cars. Thanks to the car and it's stupid accelerator! Sheesh!"

A sympathetic look came to Arnold's eyes as he took her hand and said "I'm sorry. Other than that, did you have a good time?"

Thinking back to everything that had happened to her…

Seeing Brainy in the house of mirrors

Riding with Brainy in the Tunnel of Love

It didn't seem to matter now that Arnold finally noticed her. Her heart was fluttering as she watched him hold her hand and stuttered "Uhh it could have been worse I guess. Beats listening to Simmons go on about his 'special' assignments."

Arnold smiled as he continued to hold her hand and said "Come on, I'll walk you home."

Helga's eyes widened as she thought to herself…

 _My beloved is walking with me? He was concerned about me? He's actually holding my hand! Maybe empathy was the road I should have been taking all along? Oh man, I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!_

 ** _THANKS FOR READING_**

 ** _PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**The It Girl**_

 _ **(A scene I believe proved Helga was more of an actress than a model, and Arnold was more of a judge than a friend).**_

 _Backstage_

After seeing Helga's 'fake performance', Arnold had to go backstage and ask if everything had worked out the way she wanted.

"Yep. Johnny tore up my contract. I'm as free as a bird." Helga said in a relieved tone.

While he understood the suffocation Helga must have been feeling from everyone trying to be her, he had a hard time believing the attitude was the thing that really bothered her. She was being praised for being 'herself.' What could she hate so much about that, unless she was more unique than she realized.

"It's funny people could hate you so much just for acting nice. Personally, I thought you were great out there."

Helga's face immediately went from relieved to perplexed. It was obviously an act she was performing, which he had seen her do a few times before…

Inviting him to camp

Acting sweet for Rhonda's party

Apologizing to Patty

Whether or not she enjoyed those things, he had to know they weren't done willingly by her. While it may have been for her to enjoy time spent with him, was he really able to see through her rough exterior?

Did he agree to those things because he felt something for her, or just because he believes there's a bit of good floating around inside everyone?

After taking this in, Helga shook her head (keeping up the act) and said "Arnold, Arnold, Arnold. I'm mean, nasty and insensitive. That's what makes me special."

Arnold maybe a supportive person, but even he knew when someone was just to scared to face the truth; .everyone but him that is. What right did he have to judge her if she wasn't willing to admit her feelings?

As he thought about this, he heard "Hey are you the hat girl?" and watched Helga shove the poor fan out of the way.

Arnold stood there considering if his inability to even consider his feelings for Helga (when she already had the life she did), made him start heading her way.

As she was making her way out the door, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Helga turned and shouted "Arnold!" when seeing him wearing of the new ridiculous yet famous hats.

Helga then scowlded and said "I mean, what are you doing in that ridiculous hat hairboy?!"

Arnold smiled and said "Showing you as crazy as I look, I'm not afraid to be myself. Whatever it is you're worried about that makes you need to act the way you do, you should always be yourself."

Helga's eyes widened as she watched her beloved walk away in the ridiculous hat. Did he really think that much that there was a good side to her?

She blushed as she watched him leave. He was the one who suggested being nice; the one who believed there was more to her than what she seemed.

Perhaps it was his way of showing that while he wasn't any braver to confessing feelings for her (let alone thinking about them), it was his way of showing he would never lose faith in her...no matter how frequently or hostilely she denied her feelings.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


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